FINE Gael senator and general election candidate Paschal Donohoe has criticised the rec­ent language used by the Lab­our leadership, accusing it of engaging in "dangerous att­empts to reflect the national gloom rather than help lift it out of it".

In a posting on his blog this weekend, Donohoe – who is tipped to win a seat in Dublin Central – highlighted comments by Labour leader Eamon Gil­more that state had "surrendered its economic freedom"; its deputy leader Joan Burton that "Ireland is banjaxed" and by Pat Rabbitte, who said the country was an "economic corpse".

Donohoe said that while Fianna Fáil had abandoned the country and the Greens had abandoned Fianna Fáil, Labour had "abandoned hope".

At a time of national crisis, it was the job of politicians to lead, Donohoe said, adding that the challenge for Fine Gael was to "rise above the fray" and offer the country the hope and confidence it needed.

"That's why when Eamon Gilmore was shouting across the Dáil chamber that the government had engaged in 'surrender… of this country's sovereignty', Enda Kenny, calmly and confidently, explained that the entire budgetary pro­cess could be passed by Christmas, allowing for a January election and a new government by February."

Donohoe added that Kenny's approach didn't get as "much coverage as Eamon's did, but it was entirely more helpful to the Dáil and the country".

Declaring that Fine Gael had the "road map" to get the country out of the crisis, Donohue concluded that the people knew that Fianna Fáil had "got us here" and the opposition parties should "gain power, not on the back of the people's anger, but on the basis of their trust".